Davy Jones Locker Koh Tao: Courses, Fun Dives & Fit

Featured image: keepitsurreal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.

About Davy Jones Locker Koh Tao

Davy Jones' Locker Diving presents itself as a PADI 5-Star IDC center on Koh Tao. Its own site says it has taught "personalized" recreational and technical courses since 1996. Third-party listings mention a team of 6 PADI instructors, but headcount changes with the season. Ask the shop who would teach your course. The center sits within the wider Koh Tao dive shop comparison, which helps if you are still choosing between operators. PADI's dive-shop locator shows the current professional level of any center, so check it before you rely on a "5 Star" label.

Courses and fun dives

Listings show a full ladder, from Discover Scuba Diving and Open Water through specialties to Divemaster and Instructor programs. The table below uses typical durations and prerequisites. Treat the durations as planning estimates and confirm each one with the shop. Prices and hours checked November 2026: the only baht figure published is the fun dive rate on the shop's own site. Certification prices vary by shop on Koh Tao, so compare like for like.

Who it suits and who should look elsewhere

Match the shop to your stage of diving. These are fit criteria, not claims about service quality.

• Nervous first-timers: look for the Discover Scuba and Open Water programs, and ask about group size in the pool and in open water.
• Certified divers on holiday: the fun dive page suits you, once you know the number of dives and the gear included in the ฿2,000.
• Aspiring professionals: a Divemaster program of roughly 45 days needs a shop you can stand for six weeks, so ask about accommodation and mentoring.
• Technical divers: the shop says it teaches technical courses. Ask which levels run, and who the instructor is, before booking.
• Travelers wanting a specific small-group style: if the shop cannot cap group size in writing, compare alternatives.

What a dive day looks like

A half-day trip is listed at about 4 hours with 2 dives, which usually means a briefing, a boat ride, a surface interval and a second dive. Ask the shop for the meeting point, departure time and what to bring. Boat schedules shift with weather, so keep your plans flexible on the first day.

Location and getting there

The exact position on the island and the walking distance from the pier should come from the shop's own site or Google Maps. Some directory addresses for this shop are garbled, so do not rely on them.

Costs and what's included

The shop's fun dives page lists ฿2,000 with no unit, so ask whether that is one dive or a package. Ask too whether it includes tanks, weights, regulators, a wetsuit and boat time. For courses, confirm whether certification fees and learning materials are bundled. Compare quotes from two or three shops using the same inclusions. Insurance is a separate cost. DAN dive accident insurance is one option many divers look at.

• Is the price per dive or per package?
• Are equipment rental and the boat fee included?
• Are PADI certification fees and materials included in course prices?
• What are the group-size and instructor-ratio limits?
• How old is the rental equipment, and who services it?
• What are the medical-form and fitness requirements?
• What is the cancellation and bad-weather policy?

Marine life and dive sites

Listings name Laem Thien, Aow Leuk and the Unicorn Wreck as sites near the shop's trips. Ask which are default and which run on request, because boat schedules and sea conditions decide the day. Divers may see rays, turtles or reef fish at Koh Tao sites, but no operator can promise sightings. A dive site guide will give better detail than a shop listing.

Davy Jones Locker vs other Koh Tao dive shops

Compare shops on attributes you can verify: course focus, size, location and group limits. Read each shop's own page before deciding. Start with Ban's Diving Resort if you want a resort-style shop. Look at Sairee Cottage Diving if you plan to stay near Sairee. Crystal Dive and Big Blue Diving are two more profiles worth opening. If you prefer a smaller operation, try Simple Life Divers. Other agencies, such as SSI, offer a center locator at SSI's dive center locator.

How to Read Reviews Before Booking

A directory listing gives Davy Jones Locker a 4.3 rating, but that figure is based on only 3 reviews. That is too small a sample to show a reliable pattern. Check recent Google and Tripadvisor feedback before paying a deposit.

Read the newest comments for details that affect your day underwater. Look for repeated observations about briefings, equipment condition, boat organization and instructor communication. Separate course reviews from fun-dive reviews, because the experience can differ. Ask the shop directly about any recurring concern you find.

For a longer course, compare feedback from students who completed similar training. A Divemaster program is listed at roughly 45 days, while Open Water is listed at about 3 days. Recent, detailed reviews are more useful than an overall star score when choosing between those commitments.